Marble shooting coaster toy with projector



July 3, 1951 F. J. scHARKoPF 2,558,881

MARBLE SHOOTING COASTER TOY WITH PROJECTOR Filed Dec. 17, 1947 l JNVNTOR. FREDERICK J. SCHARKDPF Patented July 3, 1951 UNITED STATE-S PATENT OFFICE MARBLE SHOOTING COASTER TOY WITH PROJECTOR 7 Claims. 1 This invention relates to improvements in toys, and particularly toys which employ marbles for different tests of skill.

One of the objects of the invention is the pro- Vision of an apparatus or device having an upper and a lower runway, and a projector for imparting a vertical lifting motion to a marble, so that the player can by skillful operation cause a marble to enter the upper runway, and then descend by gravity and by the impulse imparted by projection, to the ylower runway.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a toy apparatus or device with an upper and a lower runway, a spring for projecting a marble or small sphere from the lower runway to the upper runway, and a deflector disposed directly above the spring for causing the projected marble or sphere to enter the upper runway and roll downwardly and then enter the lower run- Way.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a toy apparatus or device, having an upper and a lower runway, means for projecting a mar.- ble or sphere to the upper runway, and a ,direction controlling switch for causing the marble to roll out of the device from the upper runway .or roll into the lower runway.

For `further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the Various novel ,features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved projecting marble toy, showing in dot and dash, the course of action the marble will take if properly directed `by pressure on the nger hold.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Eig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view, taken .on line 4-4 of Fig. l, looking `in the direction of the arrows.

l The toy, according to the present invention, includes a channel shaped base I having vertical flanges II and `I2 and a table I3.

On the table I3 a lower runway I4 is supported in slightly inclined relation thereto, so that its lower end |45 will be held close to the table I3, and its upper end I4b will be y,spaced above the same.

A U-shaped stop lI5 is mounted von the `l`t`vfd 11lole so as tostraddle the lower end 1.4% of 1therunway 1.4,

and projects above the same a considerable distance to act as a dellecting wall. The higher. end UIb of the runway I4 is supported between vertical side walls I9 and Il of a housing I8. The side walls I3 and Il are secured by bottom flanges I9 to the table I3. The upper ends of the sides I6 and I l are connected .to each other by an inclined top wall 20.

Near the stop I5 two standards 72| and 22 are secured by means of base angles 2,3. Between the upper ends of these standards 2I vand l22 an ,in- Verted vU -shaped deflector hood 24 is supported, and adjacent the lower edge of this deector l24 the upper end of an upper runway 25 is lsupported, as yby the rivets 26.

The delector hood 24 is provided with side walls 2 "I, ,-a concave curved top wall portion 29, and a downwardly inclined top wall portion 39, which is supported directly over the Vertieal U- shaped stop I 5. The concave top wall portion 29 is supported directly over the upper end of the upper runway 2 5.

The downwardly inclined portion 30 Lforms a guiding surface to give lateral shifting movement to a marble thrown or projected against the same, and the concave roof surface imparts a downward shift to the marble, to cause it to drop onto the upper runway 25.

The lower end of the upper runway 25 is supported between the vertical side walls I6 .and Il of the housing I8. Between the side walls I6 and yI 'I va switch plate 32 is pivotally supported on the shaft or rod 33, so that the inner 1end 32a of said plate may be swung under and against the lower end of the upper runway 25, or against the uppermost yend I4*o of the lower runway I4. A lever Y,34 is fixed to the outer end of the shaft or rod 3 3, and is adapted to swing against aspring latch or retainer 35, which is secured to the housing I8, by a rivet 36.

A vertical hole 3l is formed in the lower end ,I4EL of the lower runway I4, and a flat metal spring 38 is secured tothe underside of the table I3, and extends `outwardlythereof to provide 4a nger hold 39, by means of which the spring kmay be depressed. This spring normally .lies against the bottom side of the table I3, and thus extends across the hole 3l. By placing a marble in the hole Y3l and depressing the spring 38 by the linger hold 39 and then vquickly releasingthe 1inger hold, Ythe vmarble will be projected upwardly through the hole 3l', and will rise above the lower runway 25.

Vferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be 3 tension, by bending downwardly, the marble will be projected against the inclined top wall portion 30,*will roll upwardly toward the concave top wall portion 29, and be deflected into the upper runway 25, rolling down this runway.

By placing the inner end 32a of the switch plate 32 in engagement with the upper end 14h of the lower runway I4, the marble will be caused to roll into the lower runway and return to the lower end of the same, where it will again enter the projection hole 3l, and may again be projected. This course of action is seen in dot and dash lines in Fig. l showing the course of travel the marble would take if the finger hold 3Q were depressed.

By swinging the switch plate 32 so that the inner end 32a of the same will engage'the lower end of the upper runway 25, the marble will be deflected outwardly of the device, into any eX- ternal ball game field organized upon a floor, sidewalk or eld, and the velocity of rolling given to the ball by the force of the reaction of the fiat spring S8 will govern the distance of travel from the device, over any external game field; the position of the switch plate 32 being governed by the lever 34.

When the lever 34 is engaged with the latch 35, the switch plate 32 will occupy a position to deflect the rolling marble from the upper runway 25 to the lower runway I4.

The toy device provides means for making competitive tests of skill, and to enable children ,to exercise their natural desire to apply force to objects, without exposing themselves or others to injury.

Each of the runways is of U-shaped conf' struction, so that one or a number of marbles may be used in operating the device, and so that `no marble will be displaced from the device.

While I have illustrated and described the preunderstood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modications coming within the scope of the invention, as dened in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

l. A marble projecting toy, comprising a base of channel construction, a U-shaped housing supported on the base near one end thereof, a pair of standards supported on the base near the opposite end thereof, a U-shaped inclined runway having an upper end supported on the standards and a lower end supported in the housing, a second U-shaped inclined runway beneath said first runway and having an upper end supported in the housing spaced beneath the Ylower end of said iirst runway and a lower end A disposed against the base adjacent the standards, said base and said second named runway having a hole located near the lower end thereof, a deflector supported on the standards above the upper end of the iirst runway and provided with over the hole and a downwardly curved upper end located directly over the upper end of the rst named runway, manually operable means on said base for projecting a marble upward through the hole against the deector to be deected by said deflector onto said upper runway to roll down the same, a switch plate pivoted on a horizontal axis intermediate of its endsin the housing between the adjacent ends of said run- A ways to be turned to a position engaging the"4 an upwardly inclined lower end located directly `f lower end of said upper runway to deflect aball rolling down the upper runway ofl the lower end thereof or to be turned to a position engaging the upper end of said lower runway to deflect a ball rolling down said upper runway onto said lower runway, a lever connected with the switch plate for swinging the same from one position to the other, and a spring latch disposed against the housing for securing the lever in one position.

2. A toy comprising a table, a pair of spaced standards mounted on one end of said table, an inverted U-shaped housing mounted on the other end of said table, an inclined upper runway supported between said standards and said housing with its high end between said standards and with its low end projected into the adjacent end of said housing, an inclined lower runway supported between saidv standards and said housing with its high end in said housing and spaced beneath the low end of said upper runway and with its low end between said standards, means at the high end of said upper runway for deflecting a vertically projected ball onto the high end of said upper runway to roll freely down kthe same, means at the low end of said lower runway for projecting a ball vertically toward said deecting means, and manually controllable means in said housing between the adjacent ends of said runways for directing a ball rolling down the upper runway on' the lower end thereof or onto the upper end of said lower runway to then roll down the lower runway.

3. A toy comprising a table, a pair of spaced standards mounted on one end of-said table, an inverted U-shaped housing mounted on the other end of said table, an inclined upper runway supported between said standards and said housing with its high end between said standards and with its low end projected into the adjacent end of said housing, an inclined lower runway supported between said standards and said housing with its high end in said housing and spaced beneath the low end of said upper runway and with its low end between said standards, means at the high end of said upper runway for deflecting a vertically projected ball onto the high end of said upper runway to roll freely down the same, means at the low end of said lower runway for projecting a ball vertically toward said deflecting means, and manually controllable means in said housing between the adjacent ends of said runways for directing a ball rolling down the upper runway off the lower end thereof or onto the upper end of said lower runway to then roll down the lower runway, said manually controllable means, comprising a shaft rotatively supported between the side walls of said housing parallel to and between the -adjacent ends of said runways, a switch plate xedly mounted on said shaft between the side walls of said housing to turn with said shaft to a position in which the end of the switch plate adjacent said runways engages the upper runway to direct a ball off the end of the upper runway or to a position in which the end of the switch plate adjacent said runways engages the lower runway to direct a ball onto said lower runway.

4. A toy comprising a table, a pair of spaced standards mounted on one end of said table, an inverted U-shaped housing mounted on the other end of said table, an inclined upper runway supported between said standards and said `housing with its high end between said Standards and with its low end projected into the adjacent end of said housing, an inclined lower runway supported ing a ball vertically toward said deflecting means,

and manually controllable means in said housing between the adjacent ends of said runways for directing a ball rolling down the upper runway off the lower end thereof or onto the upper end of said lower runway to then roll down the lower runway, said manually controllable means, comprising a shaft rotatively supported between the side walls of said housing parallel to and between the adjacent ends of said runways, a switch plate nxedly mounted on said shaft between the side walls of said housing to turn with said shaft to a position in which the end of the switch plate adjacent said runways engages the upper runway to direct a ball off the end of the upper runway or to a position in which the end of the switch plate adjacent said runways engages the lower runway to direct a ball onto said lower runway, said shaft having an end extended from one side of said housing, and a handle fixed to the extended end of said shaft for turning said shaft between either of the two positions of said switch plate.

5. A toy comprising a table, a pair of spaced standards mounted on one end of said table, an inverted U-shaped housing mounted on the other end of said table, an inclined upper runway supported between said standards and said housing with its high end between said standards and with its low end projected into the adjacent end of said housing, an inclined lower runway supported between said standards and said housing with its high end in said housing and spaced beneath the low end of said upper runway and with its low end between said standards, means at the high end of said upper runway for deflecting a vertically projected ball onto the high end of said upper runway to roll freely down the same, means at the low end of said lower runway for projecting a ball vertically toward said delecting means, and manually controllable means in said housing between the adjacent ends of said runways for directing a ball rolling down the upper runway off the lower end thereof or onto the upper end of said lower runway to then roll down the lower runway, said manually controllable means, comprising a shaft rotatively supported between the side walls of said housing parallel to and between the adjacent ends of said runways, a switch plate xedly mounted on said shaft between the side walls of said housing to turn with said shaft to a position in which the end of the switch plate adjacent said runways engages the upper runway to direct a ball olf the end of the upper runway or to -a position in which the end of the switch plate adjacent said runways engages the lower runway to direct a ball onto said lower runway, said shaft having an end extended from one side of said housing, and a handle xed to the extended end of said shaft for turning said shaft between either of the two positions of said switch plate, and means for holding said handle in a position in which said switch plate engages said lower runway.

6. A toy comprisinga table, a pair of spaced standards mounted on one end of said table, an inverted U-shaped housing mounted on the other end of said table, an inclined Iupper runway supported between said standards and said housing with its high end between said standards and with its low end projected into the adjacent end of said housing, an inclined lower runway supported between said standards and said housing with its high end in said housing and spaced beneath the low end of said upper runway and with its low end between said standards, means at the high end of said uppel` runway for dei'ie'cting' a vertically projected ball onto the high end of said -upper runway to roll freely down the same, means at the low end of said lower runway for projecting a ball vertically toward said deflecting means, and manually controllable means in said housing between the adjacent ends of said runways for directing a ball rolling down the upper runway off the lower end thereof or onto the upper end of said lower runway to then roll down the lower runway, said manually controllable means, comprising a shaft rotatively supported between the side walls of said housing parallel to and between the adjacent ends of said runways, a switch plate iixedly mounted on said shaft between the side walls of said housing to turn with said shaft to a position in which the end of the switch plate adjacent said runways engages the upper runway to direct a ball 01T the end of the upper runway or to a position in which the end of the switch plate adjacent said runways engages the lower runway to direct a ball onto said lower runway, said shaft having an end extended from on-e side of said housing, and a handle fixed to the extended end of said shaft for turning said shaft between either of the two positions of said switch plate, and a latch mounted on the side wall of said housing from which the end of said shaft extends to be engaged by said handle for holding said switch plate in a pivoted position engaging said lower runway.

'7. A toy comprising a table, a pair of spaced standards mounted on one end of said table, an inverted U-shaped housing mounted on the other end of said table, an inclined upper runway supported between said standards and said housing with its high end between said standards and with its low end projected into the adjacent end of said housing, an inclined lower runway supported between said standards and said housing with its high end in said housing and spaced beneath the low end of said upper runway and with its low end between said standards, means at the high end of said -upper runway for deflecting a vertically projected ball onto the high end of said upper runway to roll freely down the same, means at the low end of said lower runway for projecting a ball vertically toward said deflecting means, and manually controllable means in said housing between the adjacent ends of said runways for directing a ball rolling down the upper runway off the lower end thereof or onto the upper end of said lower runway to then roll down the lower runway, said manually controllable means, comprising a shaft rotatively supported between the side walls of said housing parallel to and between the adjacent ends of said runways, a switch plate Xedly mounted on said shaft between the side walls of said housing to turn with said shaft to a position in which the end of the switch plate adjacent said runways engages the upper runway to direct a ball on" the end of the upper runway or to a position in which the end of the switch plate adjacent said runways engages the lower runway to direct a ball onto said lower runway, said housing havinga top wall inclined par- 7 allel to said top runway and said switch plate being of a length so that when its end between said runways engages said lower runway its other end Ywill engage the lower end of said top Wall closing the end of said housing remote from said runways. FREDERICK J. SCHARKOPF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the fue of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

